1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal computer systems having password protection, and more particularly to personal computer systems for use with an administrator password and a user power-on password.
2. Description of the Related Art
Security has become an important issue for computer systems. Password protection is now a common feature protecting computer systems from unauthorized users. With added levels of security comes the annoyance of memorizing and entering multiple passwords before a system can be booted or system resources can be modified. System administrators must be able to change a computer""s resources at any time. System administrators thus are hindered by having to enter multiple passwords at boot-up to accomplish this task.
A conventional method for a system administrator to modify a system resource has required multiple password prompts. When a computer system is powered on, Basic Input Output System (BIOS) code is executed. The BIOS code goes through a power-on-self test (POST). At a certain point in POST, POST is paused and a power-on password prompt is provided. For POST to continue, a correct user power-on password must be provided at the power-on password prompt. If a system administrator desires to modify a system resource, then an administrator password prompt is provided at which the administrative password must be entered. A system administrator thus must enter two passwords before being able to modify system resources. If a system administrator does not know the user""s power-on password, then the system administrator is unable to perform system resource modifications.
A computer system in accordance with the present invention provides a unified password prompt for accepting a user power-on password or an administrator password. A password string entered by the user at the unified password prompt is compared with a stored power-on password. If the user password string matches the stored power-on password, then access to system resources is granted. If the user password string does not match the stored power-on password, then the user password string is compared to a stored administrator password. If the user password string matches the stored administrative password, then access to system resources is granted. If the user password string does not match the stored administrative password, then the system administrator is given a predetermined number of times to enter a password string matching either the stored power-on password or the stored administrator password. If a password string matching either the stored power-on password or the stored administrator password is not provided in the predetermined number of times, access to system resources is denied. A unified password prompt in accordance with the present invention does not require a system administrator to know a user""s power-on password in order to access system resources. A unified password prompt also permits a system administrator to configure a plurality of computer systems by providing a single administrative password rather than a plurality of user power-on passwords.